It has been already known to manufacture garments, such as trousers, skirts, slacks and the like with adjustable waist bands which can be expanded and contracted as the comfort of a wearer may demand. In this way, a garment may be worn, for example, during an entire pregnancy, and after, since it can be adjusted to the increase and decrease in the waist size and the increase and decrease in volume of the abdomen.
Particularly so called maternity skirts and slacks of the type under discussion typically comprise various arrangements for altering the size of the garment.
It should be taken into consideration that the garment wearer is also concerned about comfort and appearance of the garment. Garments of the type under consideration can be also used by individuals gaining and/or reducing weight, growing children or individuals requiring the additional comfort to be obtained from relaxation of the waistband. The wearer of the garment can use the garment at all times, whether or not the waist is expanding, or contracting, such as in pregnancy, child growth or weight gain and reduction.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,793,645 discloses an adjustable waist band arrangement for garments, such as skirts, in which a waist encircling band has a resiliently stretchable back portion. Two front portions of the band are connected to each of the ends of the stretchable back portion. The front portions of the band overlap each other and are provided with buttons and button holes, respectively, for holding the overlapped front portions, respectively, together. A non-stretchable belt extending around the back portion of the waist encircling band is detachably fastenable at its ends to the front portions. The buttons to which the belt is fastened are selected to provide a comfortable fit.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,292,184 discloses an adjustable band in a garment having a rear portion and a front portion. The band is a combination of a belt folded longitudinally and secured to the rear portion and having overlapping tongues, one or more snap buttons secured to one of the tongues and snap button caps secured to another tongue and positioned to selectively engage one of the snap buttons when the desired adjustment has been obtained.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,426 shows a trouser or an analogous article of apparel having a rear waist band portion with two overlapped terminal sections and a front waist band portion. The forwardly directed portions of the rear waist band portion have slots, whereas studs are provided on the front waist band portion, which may be locked in one of the slots, upon adjustment of the amount of overlap.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,413,657 discloses an adjustable garment waist band utilizing a number of snaps or hooks to adjust a belt loosely positioned within a tunnel made round the waist band in the men's trousers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,913 shows extensible maternity slacks including a front flap and a rear flap and a waist band containing a reinforcing elastic having a succession of spaced apart button holes, wherein one of the button holes can cooperate with a button located on the side of the front flap.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,333,410 discloses a skirt having a tubular pocket extending around the front portion of the skirt, including a non-elastic band passing through the pocket, the band including fastening means at the rear of the skirt. Although the circumference of the band may be adjustable, there is no provision for expansion or contraction of the garment at the front or the back while in use at a selected circumference waist and a band freely passing through the pocket and having fasteners at a free end thereof, cooperating with respective fastening means provided on the fixed end of the belt.